Discard Tray in Blackjack

The discard tray is a clear plastic holder where the dealer places cards after each round. It sits to the dealer's right and collects all used cards until the shoe is reshuffled.

What It's For

• Keeps used cards organized
• Prevents cards from being reintroduced mid-shoe
• Allows pit bosses to verify card counts if needed

For Card Counters

The discard tray helps card counters estimate remaining decks to calculate true count:

True Count = Running Count ÷ Decks Remaining

By eyeballing the discard tray height, counters estimate how many decks have been played, then subtract from the total shoe size.

Example with 6-deck shoe:

• Discard tray looks like ~4 decks
• Remaining: ~2 decks
• Running count of +6 → True count of +3

For Recreational Players

You don't need to pay attention to the discard tray. It's just part of table equipment that keeps the game organized.